INQUIRY OPENS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2164, 1 June 1914, Page 7

INQUIRY OPENS

CAPTAIN KENDALL'S EVIDENCE HOW THE DISASTER BEFELL. (Be.fi, .Time 1, ]. a.m.) Quofcco, May 30. Th» Cofpjior has opened, tins,. jjnc&tiHation. at Rcmonskie. Captain iiftndaJl, wlicf has iccoven.-d from the- cffcots • i his i-;iin>e.rsioii, In;t is nw?y depressed, was tho «hief -witaesSi Ho slated that ho saw iho Staiiiad two i-rik-s oil, 'before tlm .fog '.iblik-raioii her frmn sight. He stoppyi tho -s.h'ip and -whistled three- short Wasts. Tho giorstad replied with one long hlnst. Some minutes 1-atqr the Siofstiid loomed' up through the .fog » ship's length away. Ji<! me«ap]ion<*:! hoi: to hack -water, and himself gave tin; o.rfer "Knl! speed ahead," hoping thus t» Wirt a collision. He a.f'tß.nvrf®s 'a.sl.iosl tho Swrstad to coniinue lull -s.pcfd ahead, in. tho 1-wpo that -shift would fill up the hole sho 'had mode in iho side of the Ijmpp&ss of Ireland, hut tlto Storstad bucked away. So' failed to beach "tho Empress of Ireland, bocauei the- .engines betsnio useless in tlireo lmnuf-es. She fitted rapidly wkeii the StofiStad backed. He added that ho |arw ; t-.h© foghimk approaching in plenty of tiroo to picp:jro, and took every precaution liitniaiily possible. Tho behaviour of the officers and crew was beyond praise.

Chief Engineer's Testimony. Tho chief engineer, Sampson, in liis evidence, stated tiiat ho remained in the cmjiiieroom 11 mil tho lights wont out suid steam was gone. Wtaii'lro- rcaeliOcl tho deck the lifeboats had bhoken loose ami swept numbers under the water, including Sainpw.i himself. Ito fiscamo entangled in tho wreckage and narrowly escaped, and scawbled into a boat. Do could wo tiro collier .a mile aiid a 'Jui.l? distant. • > •• • iinincdia,tel.5 f before tlte collision "fcho Express of Ireland wont, full speed »£<■ tern, and stopped; then ho i',ot t!;o order full sjioftd. ahead, but had only' started the engines when tho wash came. Tlmro was no <ixplosk>n of any kind^. II the collier had Icopt tjosor to the eMo of the Empress o.f Ireland many lives would Jmvo :l>pen saved, If tho coi- ; lier had pushed against- ihohelo she had . made, instead of backing away, tho-, EnipT.es" of Ireland eonld havo reachcd the shore before sinking. The inquest wus adjourned : for a ' seek. NO AUSTRALIANS MISSING. (Rcc. Juno. 1, 3.10 a.m.) Qucboc, May 30, ■ s sfo Austr.aTkns worn lostjii tho sinking of the Empress of Ireland, THE INSURANCES. (ltoc. slay 31, 5.5 p.m.) tonaon. May 30. The. insurances at Lloyd's on the. Knipross of Ireland are as follow .'227.050; cai'gfl, jESfiOVOQO; freight <iiid' disbursements, £H!0,000, 'flip Individual ■ policies on the passengers' (Ives and ei- : feet.s are estimated at another JBICOjOOO. MANSfON /HOUSE FUND, (Rec, May 31, S.o p.m.) London, May 30.. > Tno Mansion Houso Fund has opened. The newspapers emjrhasiso the point • that tho satoo of-tto -disaster has, iiyliified. many oftlm precautions carried out since the Tit-anio 'disaster, ■ •